Wednesday, February 24, 2010

on a Wednesday... It was the last of the Summer series this week with the final day of summer officially landing on Monday.I have only so subtly felt Autumn encroaching on us. Watching the lengthening shadows and the wee freshness to the air in the early morn but it is a slow change this year. Much slower than this time last... I wonder why. Maybe it is because it is still so very hot and well....the watched pot never boils.

I have thrown together a little mosaic of my summer Mondays and being still without a new snappy love I haven't any new pics to share right now...other than perhaps some rather rough one's on my phone of the works on the house.And on that front all is adventurous, somewhat testing and never dull...We are again sleeping in our finished bedroom (lovely) and are yet to tackle the dismantling and completing of the next...The deck is well underway and is proving to be bigger and better than expected but not without some anxiety on my part in general regarding big change (I'm silly like that)....a sewerage pipe accident...and a little bobcat budget blowout....

But perhaps by next week I will be laying back out there... with a view of the patch... in my hammock I haven't stretched out in for years from lack of hanging space...sipping some new chai and really welcoming the light change of Autumn.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Week 12.Another from the archives. Almost this very same time last year.Although this years golden sun soldiers aren't quite as grand as last, they have still stood proudly as our Summer garden friends again.

A note on why the archival pics....well....sadly my beloved little happy snapper is *broke*....and I am slowly working on an upgraded replacement (which is very exciting and *meant to be*)....but with big BIG works on the home in progress here I have been hesitating on loosening the purse strings again right at this minute....all in good time.So please I may be a little scarce in this space for a bit as the business of flooring, plastering, cornicing, painting, deck building and dreaming of new camera's takes over for a short while but I will not be far especially when the craziness of it all gets a bit much and I need an escape to my favourite inspirational places here....

Monday, February 8, 2010

Week 11.While still reeling from the fact we are in week 11...ELEVEN... of summer already...here is one from the archives (well this summers archives).Appropriate because we are getting so much soaking stormy rain right now.Beautiful after such a long drought...and with the garden winding down and tired after our hot Australian summer it is giving it some greenness, saving it from looking too sad, summer bug munched and well...spent.It's almost time for that overhaul.The emptying of beds and enriching with compost.The sowing of all my favourite nourishing leafy winter greens and beans.Though with gratitude the *girls* are laying again...the worms are breeding and we've still been enjoying the last of the cucumbers plus cherry tomatoes (with beautiful swelling Roma's still to come), finger eggplants, sunflowers, mint, rocket, basil, strawberries and amaranth.We are also looking forward to more papaya's, lemons, capsicum, chilli and probably an extra excess of banana's to come again now in Autumn.

And with each downpour and midnight storm we gently seem to be waking to subtly cooler mornings and shadows that lay just a little longer across the ground. It's not just the garden that is winding down.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

With thanks to an Indian door to door salesman munching on a pretty little pink fruit we now have jars of sweet jelly in our kitchen.Known as Chambakkas in his native language... or here (after a little investigation) known commonly as Wax Jambus or Water Roseapples.They grow on the nature strip across the street!A large tree I hadn't paid heed to before and neither it seems had many others in the neighbourhood because the fruit, abundant and pink lay fallen and uneaten across the grass, as well as squished so sadly in a mass of waste on the road.A quick courteous visit to these neighbours was in order before Mia and I promptly filled our basket with fruit and made our way to the kitchen to get boiling, squishing and jelly making.How could such a source of unusual crunchy deliciousness have been so unknown to us for so long?

It was with big smiles that that salesman left our door that day.Him without a sale but having had a most friendly chat in a new *world* he admitted he had few friends in, plus crisp fruit reminding him of home... and me with an amusing lesson in his native tongue (it feels good to know my clumsy accent gave him a giggle that day) and the knowledge of another new tree full of exotic goodness right outside home here.Did you know in India *akka* means fruit and *chamb* is this type of fruit?I do....now.

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, There is a rapture on the lonely shore, There is society, where none intrudes, By the deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but Nature more.... Lord Byron